Supporting and rotating device for hair-curler rolls



July 8, 1969 E. GATES 3,454,016

SUPPORTING AND ROTATING DEVICE FOR HAIR-CURLER ROLLS Filed Aug. 24, 1967INVENTOR. (s /L 901% United States Patent 3,454,016 SUPPORTING ANDROTATING DEVICE FOR HAIR-CURLER ROLLS Earl Gates, 1117 14th St., SantaRosa, Calif. 95404 Filed Aug. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 662,965 Int. Cl. A45112/24 US. Cl. 13234 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hair-curlingaidfor use with a conventional form of Curler ro1l-comprised of ahand-supported and controlled motor unit, and an adapter arranged todetachably connect the motor unit with the curler roll in drivingrelation to the latter so that upon the motor unit being placed inoperation, the curler roll will be rotated, and the hair (as initiallystarted on the roll by hand) will be powerwrapped about said roll.

Background of the invention It has been the general practice to start aportion of hair on a curler roll, and to then rotate the latter whollyby hand until substantially all of such portion of hair is wound on theroll and the latter is close to the head, whereupon the usual holdersare inserted. As a substantial number of curler rolls are commonly usedon a head of hair, applying of such rolls by hand may become a long andtedious operation.

Summary of the invention With the device of the present invention, thehair-curler rolls are power-rotated under hand control, and thehaircurling task is greatly facilitated and expedited, with far lessphysical effort on the part of the user.

The present invention provides, as a major object, a device-for thepurpose describedWhich comprises a small light-weight motor unit adaptedto be easily held in the hand, and an adapter detachably connectiblebetween the curler roll and either end of the hand-held motor unit,depending upon whether the device is to be used on the right orleft-hand side of the head.

The form and arrangement of the parts of the device for ready and easymanipulation of the same between the initially disengaged and theoperating positions thereof are another important object of thisinvention.

The present invention provides, as a further object, a supporting androtating device for hair-curler rolls which is designed for ease andeconomy of manufacture, and convenience of use.

The present invention provides, as a still further object, a practicaland reliable supporting and rotating device for hair-curler rolls andone which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it isdesigned.

Brief description of the drawings on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of the motor unit taken on line 5-5 ofFIG. 4.

3,454,016 Patented July 8, 1969 Description of the preferred embodimentReferring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, the device comprises a motor unit, indicatedgenerally at 1, and an adapter indicated generally at 2.

The adapter includes a circular head 3 having a diameter no smaller thanthat of a conventional perforated curler roll 4, and from the center ofone face of which head an oval-shaped elongated band-type spring 5projects; the normal expanded width of this spring being somewhatgreater than the internal diameter of the roll 4. The ovalshaped spring5 is thus adapted to frictionally but releasably engage in the roll 4from one end thereof, and with the roll 4 then in end contact with andprojecting from said one face of the head 3.

A stub shaft 6 projects centrally from the face of the head opposite thespring 5, and such stub shaft is adapted to detachably engage with themotor unit in driven relation, and from either end thereof, as will bedescribed hereinafter.

The motor unit 1 comprises a cylindrical, closed-end case 7substantially the same diameter as the head 3. A tubular open-endedshaft 8 is turnably mounted centrally and axially in the case 7; thebore of said shaft 8 being such as to slidably receive the stub shaft 6therein from either end thereof. A cross pin 9 extends diametrally in,and intermediate the ends of the shaft 8; the stub shaft 6 beingdiametrally slotted from its outer end for a certain distance, as shownat 10, so as to fit over or straddle the cross pin 9 and thus connectthe two shafts in detachable relation. It will, of course, be understoodthat the o en ends of the shaft 8 are exposed at both ends of the case7, as clearly shown in FIG. 4.

A coil or clock-type spring 11 is disposed in the case 7 in surroundingrelation to the shaft 8; one end of such spring being attached to thecase, while the other end is attached to the shaft 8.

The shaft 8 is fitted, within the case 7 and to one side of the spring11, with a ratchet wheel 12 normally held against rotation in aspring-unwinding direction by means of a pawl 13 (see FIG. 3). The pawl13, which projects through an opening 14 in the peripheral wall of thecase 7, depends from one end of a short finger-actuated lever 15 pivotedon the outside of the case, and adapted to be depressed to lift andrelease the pawl from the ratchet wheel 12; a suitable spring 16yieldably resisting such depression of the lever 15.

In the use of the above described device, the stub shaft 6 of theadapter 2 is first slid into the tubular shaft 8 of the motor unit 1,with the slot 10 then receiving the cross pin 9 of said shaft 8. Themotor unit 1 and adapter 2 are then relatively oppositely rotated byhand in order to wind up the spring 11; unwinding of the spring beingnormally prevented by the pawl 13. The curler roll 4 is then pressedonto the spring 5, placing the latter under compression so that saidspring and roll are held against relative rotation; the roll beinglongitudinally advanced until it engages the head 3 of the adapter 2.

With the parts of the device thus assembled in operating position, asshown in FIG. 2, the user starts a portion of her hair on the curlerroll in the conventional manner, and

then releases the pawl 13 by depressing the lever 15. This enables thespring 11 to function in an unwinding direction so that the motor unit 1functions to rotate the en gaged shafts 8 and 6, and also the curlerroll 4, which results in such portion of hair being power-wound ontosuch roll. The spring 5 is then withdrawn from engagement with the roll4, leaving the hair-engaged roll on the head. The spring 11 is thenmanually rewound, ready for the next roll-engaging and hair-windingoperation.

The stub shaft 6 is insertable into the tubular shaft 8 from either endthereof, depending on the direction of rotation desired for thesupported roll 4, and whether the roll 4 is to be used on the rightorleft-hand side of the head.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a supporting and rotating device for hair-curlerrolls as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as setforth herein.

I claim:

1. A supporting and rotating device, for an open ended hair-curler roll,comprising a motor unit adapted for hand support and control andincluding a rotatable shaft, and an adapter positioned axially on themotor unit shaft and arranged to releasably connect said shaft to thecurler roll in axially alined driving relation; the adapter including arotatable head detachably connected at one end to the motor unit shaft,and an oval initially expanded spring projecting from the opposite endof the head; the spring being inserted under compression into the curlerroll, from one end thereof, in frictional holding but detachablerelation.

2. A supporting and rotating device, for an open ended hair-curler roll,comprising a motor unit adapted for hand support and control andincluding a rotatable shaft, and an adapter removably positioned on themotor unit shaft and arranged to releasably connect said shaft to thecurler roll in axially alined driving relation; the motor unit shaftbeing tubular and open-ended, and said adapter comprising a rotatablehead having means projecting from one end thereof for detachable holdingengagement with the curler roll, and a stub shaft projecting from theopposite end of the head adapted to be removably projected into saidtubular shaft from either end thereof, selectively, and in nonturnablerelation therewith.

3. A supporting and rotating device, for an open ended hair-curler roll,comprising a motor unit adapted for hand support and control andincluding a rotatable shaft, and an adapter removably positioned axiallyon the motor unit shaft and having means for releasably connecting saidshaft to the curler roll in axially alined driving relation; the motorunit comprising a case having endwalls in which the shaft is turnablymounted, a clock-type spring in the case about the shaft and secured atone end to said shaft and at the other end to the case, a ratchet wheelfixed on the shaft within the case, and a manually releasable pawlmounted on and projecting into the case and normally engaged with theratchet wheel in a direction to normally prevent unwinding of thespring.

4. A supporting and rotating device, for an open ended hair-curler roll,comprising a motor unit adapted for hand support and control andincluding a rotatable shaft, and

a an adapter removably positioned axially on the motor unit shaft andhaving means for releasably connecting said shaft to the curler roll inaxially alined driving relation; the motor unit comprising a case havingendwalls in which the shaft is turnably mounted, a clock-type spring inthe case engaging the shaft to rotate the latter when the spring iswound, and manually releasable means preventing unwinding of the spring;the adapter including a hand-engageable head having a stub shaft adaptedto detachably couple with the motor unit shaft whereby upon relativeopposite rotation of the motor unit and head, the spring will be wound.

5. A supporting and rotating device, for an open ended hair-curler roll,comprising a motor unit adapted for hand support and control andincluding a rotatable shaft, and an adapter removably positioned axiallyon the motor unit shaft and arranged to releasably connect said shaft tothe curler roll in axially alined driving relation; the motor unitincluding a case, and said motor unit being spring-actuated and woundupon relative opposite rotation of said case and the shaft, there beingmanually releasable means normally preventing unwinding of the springand resultant rotation of the shaft; the adapter including a rotary headdisposed immediately adjacent the motor unit in axial alinement with theshaft, means detachably coupling the head to the shaft, and meansprojecting from the head opposite the motor unit and adapted to engagein the curler roll, from one end thereof, in frictional holding butdetachable relation.

6. A device, as in claim 5, in which both the case and the head arecircular and of substantially the same diameter.

7. A device, as in claim 5, in which said frictional holding meanscomprises a band-type oval spring secured at one end centrally to saidhead; said spring being initially of a width greater than the internaldiameter of the curler roll, the spring being compressed upon engagementin said curler roll, and the latter being of a diameter no greater thanthat of the head and substantially abutting the adjacent end thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,456 10/1951 Kutzler et al13234 FOREIGN PATENTS 63 8,745 3/1962 Canada.

BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner.

